Line marking tool



Nov. 2, 1948. e. E. SNETHEN LINE MARKING TOOL Filed Aug. 26, 1946 45 3 mm H .N W I o F eN T 9| T Patented Nov. 2 1948 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE j LINE MARKING TOOL George E. Snethen, klahoma City, Okla. ApplicationAugust 26, 1946, Serial No. 693,040

My invention relates to marking tools, or in other words marking guides along which marks may be made. i J

In some types of present day building construction, steel floor joists, wall studding, ceiling joists, and roof purlins are being used, and in cases where sheeting is to beattached, the elements are formed of two channel iron pieces with their web rigidly held flatly together, but leaving a close crevice or crack between them. The webs of the two members are contiguously deformed or waved so that the crevice similarly deforms and retains any nails driven between them. In nailing sheeting to such metalelement-s, the nails can be driven only into the crevice, but since the sheeting must first be placed over the crevice before the nail can be driven, the crevice is hidden, and it therefore becomes a case of guess work for the mechanic to find the crevice with the nails.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a tool which may be engaged with the flange of such metal elements, which will lie upon the sheeting, and along which a, mark may be made on the sheeting to locate the nail receiv ing crevice beneath the same.

Another object is to provide a tool for this purpose, having an edge which automatically becomes aligned with the nailing crevice when the tool is engaged over the flange of the channel iron element.

A further object is to provide a tool of this class which is comparatively cheap to manufacture.

An additional object is to provide a tool which is simple and easy to use.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a section of sheeting lying upon a channel iron element to which it is to be nailed, and showing the tool of the invention in operative position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the end of a, channel iron member, and showing in end elevation, the tool operatively engaged therewith; and, Figure 3 is a, fragmentary perspective view showing sheeting nailed to one of the channel iron elements, the nail having been driven through the sheeting on a line scribed along the marking edge of the tool.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates, as a whole, a steel frame I-beam element of a building, composed of two oppositely faced channels 2 having 5 Claims. (01. 33-107) their webs 3 placed closely together. The webs of the channels 2 are complementally distorted or deformed to provide corrugations or waves 4, and together form a crack or crevice 5 into which nails 5 may be driven. The reference numeral 16 indicates a piece of sheeting material lying flatly upon similar flanges l. of the channels 2 in position to be nailed in place.,

The tool of the present invention is designed to'engage the flanges 1 of the channel iron elementi, and lieover the sheeting piece It so that a line 8 may be marked on the sheeting along one edge of the tool. When so marked, the line 8 lies exactly over the crevice 5, so that the nails may be driven on the line through the sheeting, and into the crevice.

The tool, per se, includes a single elongated strip ll! of sheet metal deformed transversely to provide: a hooked edge portion H adapted to envelope the edgeof one of the flanges l; a bevelled or upwardly sloping portion 12; a horizontal or flat portion [3 lying in a plane with the upper surface of the sheeting i6; and an up-' turned rib l 4 forming the other edge of the strip, The horizontal portion I3 and rib M are considerably longer in length than the portions H and i2, and the portion I3 is adapted to lie flatly upon the upper surface of the sheeting piece It.

Adjacent one end of the rib M, the horizontal portion 13 has two longitudinally spaced depending legs or projections 15 which are made by cutting through the trip and turning down portions thereof. As best shown in Figure 2, each leg l5 has a bevelled edge 20 adapted to contact that edge of the flange I lying opposite to the hook H. When the tool is placed upon the flanges I, as shown in Figure 2, the bevelled edges 28 of the legs i5 contact one edge of one flange 1 and act as wedges to draw the hooked portion ll into firm engagement with the opposite edge of the other flange 1. When the tool is thus firmly engaged with the flanges I of the element l, the side edge of the elongated flat portion 1% lies exactly over the crevice 5. This side edge is indicated by the reference numeral ll, and acts as a marking guide for scribing the line 8 on the upper or outer surface of the sheeting it.

In Figure 1 is illustrated a pencil IS in position to draw the line 8 along the marking guide edge H of the tool.

A notch 19 may be provided adjacent the end of the marking edge l'l, if desired, whereby the tool may be hung upon a nail or the edge of a beam flange when not in use.

It is thought that operation of the device may be clearly understood from the above description Without further elucidation. The portion H is merely hooked over the edge of one of the flanges at the end of the sheeting piece It, and the bevelled edges 20 of the legs are forced into positive Wedging contact with the edge of the opposite flange 1'1. A mark is then made on the sheeting 16 along the edge I! of the tool.

In putting the tool in mark guiding position, the end of the. bevelled portion I2 contacts the adjacentfend of the sheeting l6 and acts with the edge 11 similarly to a usual T-square.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration Without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Arline marking tool for the purposes set forth ine dina a flat. str p ha i a s raight d e alo e.) a mark my be made; a d m ans, at ne .rl' o s id stri f r removehly ancho in t u on h flange of n, Irheam in suc a mem. e.. t h t said ed e. es s ac d f m. nd arall to the edge f. h e m.

St ctur spe ified n cla m in whi h said means includes; am k. fo enga n one edge o e dense; a dv a W dae shaped p ojecn f r n agin th her fla e dge a d w ng e hook into osi ve n g me A ine mar ing mp1- for h urp s s rt n lud ng: a fiat strip hav n a straight e ge a one, w i a mar my e mad and m ns. a on end. of said st i f r re o a y anchoring it upon the flange of an liebearn, in

4 such a manner that said edge lies spaced from and parallel to and spaced above the edge of the beam.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3, in which said, means includes: a h-Qk for engaging one edge of the flange; and a wedge-shaped projection for engaging the other flange edge and drawing the hook into positive engagement.

5,. A line marking tool for the purposes set forth, including: a flat strip; a widened portion at; one end of said strip; a hook formed along one edge oi said widened portion for engaging one edge of an I-beam flange; a wedge-shaped proiection adjacent the other edge of said widened portion for contacting the other edge of s and dra ing the h k. into p it eng g ment. w th the first mentionedn e edge;" and a straight edge carried by said strip and along a mark, may be made, saidedge ying aral e o the flang edges. en th device s in tall d: upon he -b m-.

;BEFEREN ES C TE ED STATE PATENTS.

H me Date mans. 

